Chapter Four

Atem watched as Yuugi tried to finish his homework. Based on the clenched jaw and the tired set to his eyes, he was clearly failing. He tapped at his laptop aimlessly, and sometimes stopped to write down a note on actual paper.

He sat with his back against Yuugi's bed, his own laptop settled onto his lap. He was still in his school clothes, but that was because he'd hopped through the windows as soon as he hit the door. Yuugi had already been home and Atem wasted no time in being in the same room. One of them finishing up work wasn't unusual. It provided a peaceful silence between the two of them that Atem found way too enjoyable.

If Atem was honest with himself, he found everything about Yuugi enjoyable. He enjoyed the way Yuugi tried to see the silver lining in everything around him. He loved how Yuugi could just look at him and know what kind of mood he was in. He absolutely adored that Yuugi trusted him enough to invite him into his room at all hours of the day.

He was in deep.

Even right now, when Yuugi ran a hand through his hair, scratching absentmindedly as he tried to solve whatever problem he was looking at, he looked so enticing. Atem wanted to run his own fingers through Yuugi's hair. He wanted to wrap his arms around Yuugi and hold him close. He bet he was warm.

He reigned that impulse in quickly, and buried it deep. He'd seen no sign that Yuugi would be receptive to that kind of thought, and he wouldn't jeopardize their friendship. Besides, Yuugi looked entirely too stressed out right now.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked from his spot on the floor.

Yuugi let out a frustrated sigh. "No, but thank you Atem. They've introduced a new coding system into our syllabus and it makes no sense."

"You look like you need a break." Atem closed his laptop and set it aside.

"I'm almost done."

"You haven't done anything productive in fifteen minutes." Atem knew for certain, since he'd been watching the whole time. He stretched his legs out wide and leaned back against the bed frame. "Sometimes taking your mind off of it helps. Come play with me."

Yuugi paused for a short moment, his fingers poised over his keyboard. He turned in his chair and looked at Atem, his eyes wide. Atem replayed his last few sentences and realized what his words and his posture must sound like. He shut down the thoughts that came to him after "come play with me". He could feel his face burning as he began to backtrack.

Before he could, Yuugi closed down his own laptop and fully spun the chair around to face him. His face lit up in a soft smile that Atem hoped was reserved just for him, because it took his breath away. He left the chair and sat cross legged on the floor, across from Atem.

"You're right. I've been ignoring you for too long. What game do you want to play?"

"Oh, I didn't–" Yuugi's words made Atem's mind fog. "I didn't mean you were–I don't mind if we're quiet around each other. I just meant–"

Yuugi's eyes were so bright as Atem floundered for a comprehensive sentence. "I know what you meant, Atem. But I wanted to be done long before now, and I feel like I've been neglecting you. So what do you want to play?"

For the first time in his life, Atem couldn't recall the name of a single game he'd ever played.

"Chess?" Yuugi suggested. Atem shook his head "Checkers? Goh? Duel Monsters? Go Fish?"

After the final shake of his head Yuugi sat back. He chewed his lip thoughtfully, making Atem stare. It was by pure luck alone that Yuugi wasn't watching him, or he would have seen Atem practically drooling, itching to lean forward.

"Have you heard of Parallel Universe?" Yuugi finally asked, snapping his attention back to Atem. Atem, for his part, made a valiant effort to look like he was listening. "It's the new board game that came out from Industrial Illusions."

"Isn't that game hard to find?" Atem knew for a fact that Seto had been hard pressed to find a copy. He still wasn't that successful, though Seto seemed to blame Pegasus, the CEO of the company, rather than supply and demand.

"It sure is. Luckily, my jii-chan's game shop was one of the few granted permission to sell it."

Atem's jaw dropped. "You're joking." Yuugi grinned and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but how?"

Yuugi seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second. "I went to high school with the owner of the Black Clown's son, and he's very good friends with Mr. Crawford." He checked his watch and moved on, as if he hadn't just told Atem mind-shattering information. "There's still plenty of time, if you want to play it we'll have to pick it up from the game shop. If that's okay with you."

Go to his grandfather's shop, where he grew up?

It was very okay with Atem. He nodded until it felt like a tic. "I'll need to run to my room and put on some shoes, and grab my wallet."

"I'll meet you on the street and we can walk? It's only fifteen minutes from here."

Atem scrambled up and out of Yuugi's room and into his own. He grabbed his wallet from his desk, nearly barreling through his own door afterward. As he pulled it open, he nearly ran into Seto, hand raised ready to knock.

Seto grunted in surprise as Atem leapt out of the way. "Slow down, I haven't even knocked yet!" He hissed. "How did you even know I was out here?"

Atem cringed. He mumbled an apology and shuffled out of the way, reaching for his keys off the table. "I didn't." He rounded around the couch to find his shoes. "Sorry about that. I'm meeting a friend outside in a few minutes and I don't want to leave him waiting."

Seto remained still in front of Atem's bedroom door. "Is this the same friend you told me about before?"

"Hmm? Yes, the one who shares my window." Sort of. Atem stuffed a foot into one shoe and tamped his heel on the ground.

"You've been hanging out with this kid a lot. Who is he?"

Seto wouldn't remember a name even if he gave it. "Oh, he's just a friend. He's actually in your area of study. You two might get along."

"Unlikely."

"You never know if you don't try, Cousin." Atem put his last shoe on and straightened up. "I'm about to leave, but what did you want to talk about?"

"It can wait." Seto gave a noncommittal shrug and crossed the room. "I have a meeting with the board members in three days."

"Did you want me to go with you?" Atem offered. "I can sit in the back and make faces with Mokuba."

"Don't bring him down to your level of immaturity." Seto snapped. His teeth clicked together and he glanced to the side. His next words came more slowly, as if he were choosing each one before he spoke them. "I need to give the quarterly speech. They'll be listening for any… improvements I may have made since coming here."

Ah. Atem's soft smile returned. "You would like help making your speech friendlier."

"Yes."

"Sure." Atem glanced at his watch. "I should have some time tonight, or possibly tomorrow. We'll get it hammered out."

"Right. Okay." Seto's shoulder relaxed a fraction, which for him could have been an entire slump. He set calculating eyes on Atem the next moment. "You like this person."

Atem nodded. "I do."

That telltale sneer slid across his face. He waved a hand through the air and turned for his own room. "Disgusting. Go on, then."

Moments later, Atem left his own dorm room and headed downstairs to meet Yuugi outside, feeling a strange mix of anxiety and excitement.

—-

Did I just invite him to my home?

Did he just accept?

Yuugi finally realized he'd stood still for far too long and lunged for his bedroom door. He left in quite a hurry, barely giving a wave to Hanasaki and noticing that Jou was nowhere to be found before bolting out the dorm. Atem was already waiting for him outside. He'd thrown on one of his darker jackets and pulled his hair back away from his face in the few minutes since they'd been in Yuugi's room.

"All set?" Yuugi pointedly ignored the crack in his voice as he stared at Atem. He pointed down the road. "It's this way."

Why was he so nervous? He'd been outside with Atem many times since the start of the school year. They'd met openly, in multiple settings. In between classes, before and after school hours, and even on weekends.

Never to the Kame Shop, though. Yuugi's hands twitched to his phone and he stopped short. Should he warn his grandfather? He usually just walked through the door when he visited. Would he worry jii-chan if he sent word ahead first? What would he think of Atem? Would he be annoyed at not knowing Yuugi was bringing a friend?

He didn't truly think he could do anything that would annoy his grandfather, but there was a first time for everything. Yuugi had never brought home a boy before.

Yuugi rubbed at his eyes. Don't be stupid, he thought to himself. Of course I've brought friends over before. Friends. We're just friends. I'm overthinking this. Why am I overthinking this? Atem is probably just looking forward to seeing a new game shop. He's been itching to play Parallel Universe.

They both had. Luckily, Yuugi knew there was a version of it waiting for him at home. Being the new King of Games had its perks, he guessed.

They continued on in a semi-tense silence for a lot of their trip. The tension finally eased when they struck up a small conversation about Yuugi's childhood.

"I still can't believe you live above a game shop," Atem shook his head fondly. "How did anything get done?"

"It didn't," Yuugi admitted. "I was a horrible student. I brought cards and games to school constantly. The teachers had a cabinet with my name on it bursting with things they'd confiscated from me."

"Did you ever get in trouble for that at home?"

Yuugi scoffed. "Nah. My parents are never around, and jii-chan understood. I didn't have any friends until high school, and games were a way to cope. Even after I made friends with Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu, I couldn't find it in me to move on from games."

Atem winced at that, and Yuugi thought he knew why. They'd already spoken about Yuugi's lack of friendships until he met Jounouchi. Yuugi had talked about it easily enough, but Atem's jaw had set as if he were gritting his teeth, and he got quiet. Yuugi made sure to change the subject quickly after that. But he'd never spoken about his absentee mother and father.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your parents." He admitted. "Mine were much the same, but we spent so much time traveling between Japan and Egypt that we never got to settle down in one place. I spent most of my childhood bouncing between schools."

"They must be important."

"They're dignitaries." Atem continued. "We moved around a lot. I only met my friend Bakura because I finally dug my feet into the ground and demanded to stay in one place. I ended up going to the same school as him."

All too soon they were at the front door, and Yuugi placed his hands on the entrance. He took a breath to steel his nerves and opened the door. The bell chimed above him and he walked in with a bright smile.

"Jii-chan!" He called into the shop. Yuugi weaved in between the few aisles toward the counter at the back. "I'm home!"

A rustling sound came from where Yuugi knew the supply closet was in the back. Footsteps bounded closer to the shop and Yuugi's grandfather burst into the room.

"Yuugi!" Warm arms embraced Yuugi in a tight hug and he whuffed as his feet left the ground. "You didn't tell me you were coming! Come in! How are you? Have you eaten today?"

Yuugi's grandfather was just as short as Yuugi himself, yet still managed to drag his grandson up off of the ground. Yuugi fought for breath from the strong grip around his waist and the long gray hair smothering his face. He wrapped his arms around his jii-chan's neck and squeezed just as hard. A well-hidden anxiety deep in Yuugi's chest eased as the familiar scents of home filled his nose.

He's still okay.

He let jii-chan go as his feet touched the floors again. Jii-chan placed his big hands on Yuugi's face and squeezed gently, all smiles and shining violet eyes.

"And you've brought a friend!" Jii-chan finally seemed to notice Yuugi hadn't come alone. He turned to Atem and froze with his hand out. He looked Atem up and down quizzically. "You've brought a clone."

Yuugi laughed. "This is Atem Sennen. We met at school. Atem, this is Motou Sugoroku."

—-

Oh Ra, Yuugi's grandfather is the Motou Sugoroku?

The sheer amount of times his Ancient History professor had raved about this man washed over Atem. He stood there reeling while Yuugi squeezed the old man within an inch of his life. He paused in his thoughts to take in how wholesome the image before him looked. An expression of pure relief washed across Yuugi's face as he hugged his grandfather back.

Then Yuugi had introduced his grandfather–definitely Motou Sugoroku then–and it all came crashing back to Atem.

"Please, everyone calls me jii-chan." Yuugi's grandfather recovered quickly, breaking Atem's shocked thoughts. He reached for Atem's hand and shook it. The smile hadn't left his face since he walked in. If anything, it grew when he finally acknowledged Atem's presence in the room. He trained his eyes on Atem, inspecting him closely.

"Uhh–" Atem, for his part, managed a surprised smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Atem is an Ancient History major, jii-chan." Yuugi leaned over and whispered loudly to his grandfather.

Mr. Motou's face lit up. "Oh, I see. You must have classes taught by my good friend Professor Yoshimori."

"Yes, sir," Atem nodded, still surprised. "He talks about you often."

Mr. Motou pointed a finger directly at Atem's nose, his face suddenly stern. "No sir. I'm not nearly professional enough for that."

Atem had never felt so taken off guard before in his life. His polite smile turned into an uncertain grimace and he flicked his eyes over to Yuugi. Yuugi, for his part, beamed between Mr. Motou and Atem, completely at ease with this situation.

The happy smile calmed a lot of Atem's nerves. He raised an eyebrow. "Jii-chan, then?"

Mr. Motou clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! Now, tell me all about your classes. It's been so long since I've sat in on one of Yoshimori's lectures. How is he?" Atem opened his mouth to respond, but Mr. Motou began waving his hands wildly. "Wait, never mind. Yuugi avoided the question: have you eaten?

"You changed the subject so fast…." Yuugi mumbled.

Mr. Motou reached out and ruffled Yuugi's gold-tipped hair. "I'll take that as a no. I'll go make some tea."

And then he left, just as quickly as he'd appeared.

Now that Atem wasn't fighting to come up with a response to one of his professor's idols, he could take a good look around the shop. It was well lit, with lots of bright colors plastered across the walls as posters and photos in frames. Advertisements for different games, photos of Yuugi and his grandfather in different places and circumstances, and a few photos of people he didn't recognize posing with Yuugi lined the walls. The countertop reached across the entire back wall, littered with different games and Duel Monsters cards.

The glass shelf under the counter housed the rarer and more valuable merchandise. Inside the glass countertop shelves, sitting inside of its own clearly-locked case, sat a Blue Eyes White Dragon card. A large rip ran down the middle, as if it had been torn in half at one point. Wrapped in tape in a poor attempt to fix it.

After a beat of silence, Yuugi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry if that was a bit much. Jii-chan loves meeting my friends."

Ignoring the stab that came from the word friend, Atem gave a grin in return. "He seems kind."

"He'll probably grill you about your classes later." Yuugi wandered off behind the counter, beckoning behind him for Atem to follow. "He loves history."

"That reminds me." Atem followed, leaning on the opposite side of the back counter and catching Yuugi's eye. "You didn't tell me your grandfather was Motou Sugoroku, the famous archeologist."

"I don't know if I'd say famous," Yuugi admitted, heading into the closet in the back of the shop where his grandfather had come from. Atem followed closely. "It was so long ago. He stopped traveling long before I came to live with him."

As small as it was, the back storeroom contained shelves and shelves of extra boxes, marked as games or cards or merchandise. There was so much of it that Atem took a moment to take it all in. Yuugi ignored all of it and made his way to a shelf in the center. He glanced at the top, above his head, then frowned and began searching the room for something.

"They still talk about him in a lot of my classes," Atem responded. "His advancements in ancient Egyptian history are in some of my textbooks."

"Really?" Yuugi raised his eyebrows in surprise as he brought out a stepladder. "Can I see?"

"Sure, little one. They're in my backpack, back in the dorm."

Because Atem was watching, he managed to see the red that crossed Yuugi's cheeks at the name. At least he hoped it was for his nickname.

Yuugi used the stepladder to reach a higher shelf and pull down a brown-wrapped package. He inspected the top with an expression that looked torn between a smile and a grimace.

Another question came to Atem. "What happened to that Blue Eyes card in the showcase out front?"

Yuugi dropped the package.

Thanks to his quick reflexes, Atem reached out and snagged it before it hit the floor. He held it under one arm and grabbed Yuugi's own hand with his other. "Yuugi! Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Yuugi blinked and shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't realize."

Atem helped Yuugi down, watching him closely. His lips closed into a thin line, and he seemed noticeably paler than before. Unwilling to let him go, Atem led Yuugi back out of the storeroom and into the shop. He set the package down on the countertop.

"Is this what you were looking for?" He prompted.

"Yeah, it has Parallel Universe inside. Jii-chan told me a week or so ago that it was waiting here."

Atem examined the top of the package. Large, loopy handwriting wrote out Yuugi's address. A note sat on the top, taped to the package with a sticker of a giant cartoon rabbit.

"Yuugi,

Hope all is well. Ootogi-kun assures me that you and your grandfather are in good health.

As promised, here is an advanced copy of Parallel Universe. It's even been signed by yours truly! You must feel so pleased.

If you need anything, you have but to ask. I am but a humble minion in service to the King!

Pegasus J. Crawford."

Yuugi leaned over, skimmed the note, then ripped it off of the wrapping with a click of his tongue. He stuffed it into his pocket and tore off the rest of the paper. As predicted, their wanted game sprang into view, with Pegasus J. Crawford's autograph across the corner in a bright purple marker.

As impressed as he was at a personally signed copy of a rare game, a frown marred Atem's face.

"Why did he call you King?"

The grin returned, much to Atem's relief. Yuugi turned red again and laid his hands across his eyes and peeked out between his fingers. Atem tried not to think of how absolutely adorable the look was.

"Oh, you're going to see in the kitchen anyway," Yuugi groaned. "Just know that I'm not deliberately keeping things from you. This just never really came up. I kind of hate telling people about it."

"A deep, dark, Yuugi Secret?" Atem asked, leaning forward again.

"He wrote that because I'm the King of Games."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's just a stupid title." Yes, Yuugi was turning a lovely dark red now. "I won the last Duel Monsters tournament, and one of the things that happened afterward was the creator of the game declaring me the King of Games."

Oh, I see. Things clicked into Atem's head. His eyes widened, his fingers gripped the counter. Yuugi won the last Duel Monsters tournament. Cousin Seto was now the number two duelist in Japan. Certainly they'd faced each other in the finals. And since they were the same major in the same university, they had to have come into contact at some point.

Teenage CEO Prodigy Cousin Seto, beaten by a high schooler with a game shop. I bet he hated that.

What a small world. He wondered if he should mention it.

But Atem had remained silent for too long, prompting Yuugi to continue rambling. "And really, being good at one game makes someone good at all games? What nonsense. And afterward, people started coming to the Kame Shop in waves, so jii-chan had to hire my friend Honda to help him keep up with the added workload–where is he anyway–"

Yuugi's grandfather took that moment to run into the shop again. "Oh, I gave him the afternoon off. He had something he wanted to do with that girl he likes, and I can't say no to young love." He rushed to the door, locked it, and changed the sign to Closed. "Come on back, I've got the tea ready and I can make us some fried rice quickly."

—-

Atem and his grandfather hit it off far better than Yuugi thought they would.

Jii-chan would hear no discussion about food. He made Yuugi and Atem sit down as he cooked. Atem took a sip of tea and made a comment on the type, some sort of oolong that Yuugi didn't know. They all tasted the same to him, really.

But jii-chan's eyes lit up and their tea conversation began.

By the time Jii-chan made the food and divided it amongst them, they'd switched topics to Egypt. Yuugi listened with half an ear as he ate, switching his gaze from Atem's animated looks to Jii-chan's inquisitive one.

It seemed to Yuugi that this had become more of an interview than a conversation. Jii-chan asked questions, and Atem answered them. Where are you from? What do you hope to do after college? What brought you to Domino University? Atem answered each question as politely as possible, seemingly unbothered.

At some point in time, Jii-chan turned to Yuugi and winked. It only took a moment, but Yuugi's face flamed. He looked away, studying the walls covered with old photos of his childhood.

"I lived in Cairo for a few years, off and on." Yuugi heard Atem say. "My parents worked at the consulate there."

"Oh, I see." Jii-chan responded. "I've been there a few times. It's been quite a while, though. I still have some contacts over there."

Then he spoke in Arabic. Yuugi's mouth dropped, Atem's eyebrows raised. He glanced at Yuugi briefly before responding in the same tongue. When jii-chan replied, Atem turned a bright red. Yuugi frowned, looking sharply between both of them. He was completely ignored.

"Ah, forgive me," Jii-chan switched back to Japanese after a few exchanges. "I have lost a lot of my talent for the language. I'm very out of practice."

"S-sir, your Arabic is impressive."

"Oh, you don't have to cater to an old man like me." Jii-chan waved a hand. "I haven't been to Egypt since Yuugi was a small child, I'm sure I'm far from conversational."

For some reason, Atem turned even more red. "I understood you well enough."

Jii-chan laughed, slapping the kitchen table with an open palm. "You sure did! I'll need to practice more often, since you're such good friends with my grandson now."

A while later, Atem excused himself up the stairs, to the restroom. Jii-chan took the alone time with Yuugi to grill him.

"I like him." He said plainly. "How did you meet?"

Finally, a question Yuugi could answer himself. "Our dorm room windows face each other. The buildings are close enough together that we can speak pretty easily."

"Jounouchi hasn't met him."

"How do you know that?"

Jii-chan shrugged. "He would have told me if he had."

"Do you two talk about me often?"

"As often as you and Honda talk about me."

Yuugi hated how fair that sounded. He couldn't even be mad about it. "It's only because I worry."

"Likewise." Jii-chan reached out and placed a warm hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "So. Have you asked him out yet?"

The question surprised Yuugi. He shook his head roughly. "No! Why would I do that?"

"Because you like him." Jii-chan responded. He grinned at Yuugi's widened eyes and red face, and chuckled softly. "You're my grandson, and you're so easy to read. I could tell from the moment you introduced him. Also you've been staring at him the entire time you've been here."

Oh no, had he? Had Atem noticed? How embarrassing. How was Yuugi going to talk himself out of this one?

"If it helps, I don't think he noticed." Jii-chan offered. He squeezed his shoulder before releasing it and leaning back. "Besides, you clearly took the time to come and introduce him to me."

"We wanted a game!"

"Do you need help?" Jii-chan continued, squinting up the stairs as if he could see Atem coming back. "I could always ask him out for you."

"Jii-chan."

"I could offer him a job, then you'd see him all the time."

"I see him all the time anyway, I just have to look out my window."

"You're usually so brave, my boy!" Jii-chan leaned back and crossed his arms. "Always up for a gamble."

"This is different." Yuugi admitted. He could see their windows in his mind: always open, always unlocked for each other. "Things are so easy right now. If I lose the gamble…"

He was afraid the windows would close.

"I just need more information first."

"Of course, of course." Jii-chan winked again. Yuugi felt the blush return. "You've always been a good judge of character Yuugi, my boy. I trust you."

The vote of confidence was nice, especially coming from his grandfather.

"And besides," Jii-chan grinned and stood. The sounds of footsteps coming down the stairs made Yuugi suspicious that his grandfather was up to something. When he spoke again, his voice was noticeably louder. "I can always volunteer to speak at the university again. It's been a few years, I'm sure they'd love to hear from me."

Atem came into view, his expression completely earnest and interested. Yuugi could feel himself fall into a daze just staring at him.

—-

Yuugi's childhood home was fascinating. The pictures on the walls practically chronicled his childhood, from a small child with a middle-aged grandfather to a high schooler at his graduation. The bright colors along the floors and furniture seemed to mirror Yuugi's personality. The pure affection between Yuugi and his grandfather made Atem yearn for that type of familial endearment himself.

He was sad to leave, but the sun was setting already. Eventually Yuugi grabbed the game they'd come for, hugged Mr. Motou tightly around the neck, and ushered him out of the store. Mr. Motou waved as they left and called for Atem to return any time he wanted.

He desperately wanted to come back.

His short conversation with Mr. Motou in Arabic rang in his head.

"You like my grandson, don't you?"

"Sir?"

"You called him little one."

"Oh, I didn't know you'd–"

"I was passing by and overheard. Don't worry, I approve. Would you like me to talk you up to him?"

"Uhh–"

Mr. Motou had happily reverted back to Japanese at that point, completely ignoring their previous conversation. Atem hadn't been able to keep up after that and scrambled for the restroom.

Now though, they were halfway down the road when Yuugi finally spoke. "I'm sorry that took so long. It'll be too late to learn how to play and start a game by the time we get back."

"Not at all!" Atem's reply was immediate, his smile never fading. "We can play tomorrow. Your grandfather is delightful."

Yuugi hugged the game close to his chest as they walked, almost like a shield. "I worry about him a lot. Probably too much."

"Did something happen?"

Yuugi froze midstep, then continued walking. An answer in itself.

"Is it anything I can help with?" Atem asked.

Yuugi shook his head. He reshifted the game in his grip, keeping his eyes forward as he spoke. "Almost a year ago, someone kidnapped jii-chan."

Atem stopped walking. His hand reached out of his own accord and grasped Yuugi's arm tightly, stopping him in his tracks too. He turned Yuugi to face him, searching his face.

"What?" He knew his tone sounded incredulous. "What happened?"

"I can't go into too much detail," Yuugi continued, taking in a shaky breath. "I got him back. The issue was handled. They hadn't harmed him, but with the stress and his heart… he spent a few days in the hospital."

"Oh, Yuugi…."

"It was a while ago, and everyone involved has moved on." Yuugi continued. "I try not to burden people with my worry. But sometimes, I get trapped into this thought that jii-chan isn't safe, and nothing gets me out of it until someone checks on him."

His eyes looked unfocused, lost inside his thoughts instead of the real world. Atem hated to see it. So much of what Yuugi said and did made sense, now. The sheer amount of times he looked at his phone, the way he would pick up immediately if his grandfather called, even how he sometimes showed back up in his own room after a class as a jittery ball of energy.

Atem moved one of his hands into Yuugi's hair, pulling him forward to rest on Atem's shoulder. It wasn't a planned move, but he wanted, needed to show Yuugi that he had someone's support. Yuugi's tense shoulders relaxed with the move. He exhaled sharply as Atem leaned to rest his cheek on Yuugi's head.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." He murmured. "How awful. I'm very glad you both came out of it okay."

He couldn't see Yuugi's face, but he heard a hum that seemed to show he was listening.

"If you ever need someone to come check on him, all you need to do is ask." Atem continued.

Yuugi shifted. "It seems like an imposition."

Atem felt a small smile creep back onto his face. "It's only a fifteen minute walk. It would be even faster if I ran."

He felt a puff of air on his shoulder as Yuugi snorted. "You would run all the way here just because I was worried?"

Atem didn't know how to describe it to Yuugi in a way he would understand. Atem had grown up constantly moving, never settling down somewhere long enough to make friends. He'd been somewhere between an imposition and invisible to his parents. He gave so much patience and support because he craved the same in return.

He thought of the way Yuugi wrote his name on a piece of paper and taped it to a window to introduce himself to a stranger. He thought of how Yuugi took the time and effort to talk with Atem consistently, even when Atem was in a bad mood. He thought of how Yuugi listened to his problems, as vague as they were, and offered support of his own even when he knew next to no information about them.

He thought of Yuugi inviting him to his childhood home to meet his grandfather, whom he worried about obsessively yet trusted Atem to be around.

He thought of Yuugi.

He scrunched his fingers in Yuugi's hair, rubbing his scalp absentmindedly. Taking in his scent. Solidifying his answer.

"In a heartbeat."

—-

The remainder of their walk home was quiet, but Yuugi's thoughts were loud in his head.

Half of his thoughts whirled in a storm of memories. Shouting for jii-chan inside a silent house, calling his friends in a panic, Jounouchi yelling into a cell phone as angry tears ran down his face. The tournament that he barely remembered participating in, the final moves in his championship duel with Kaiba, Pegasus J. Crawford lifting his hand into the air and declaring him the King of Games.

The sound of his jii-chan's Blue Eyes White Dragon card ripping in half, Yuugi's scream as his grandfather collapsed on the ground in a limp pile.

The half-assed apology that came a few days later. The ensuing monetary compensation that paid for jii-chan's medical bills and enabled Yuugi to attend college in the first place.

Just stress, and blackness, and a dizzying spiral of obsessive thoughts set to ruin Yuugi's sleep.

The other half of his mind focused on Atem, and the way his fingers had felt inside Yuugi's hair. He could still smell the crazy mix of woods that Atem seemed to smell like. The words of single-minded support rang through his head. The look of pure happiness on his face as he walked through the aisles of the Kame Shop.

By the time they made it back to their dorms and parted ways, the obsessive thoughts were silent.